Page 59 of Hogging the Hunk
“I knew it. You—”
“Hang on. There are other factors to consider here. His daughter for one.”
“She’ll come around.”
“Or Greg.”
“What about him?”
“I haven’t been able to close that chapter with him—we’re sort of on this unfinished cliffhanger. Plus, we were so perf—”
“If you say you were perfect together, I might scream. Perfect is boring. Where’s the growth? The passion? It’s not found in perfection. Compatible? Sure. But there are so many variables that have nothing to do with how homogenous you are with someone else.”
“And what if Milo’s too different from me? What do I do if we can’t find common ground?”
Granny chuckled softly. “You’re still wanting a definitive answer. Guess what? Loving someone won’t always be clear cut. It’s messy and splendid and sometimes, you’ll catch glimpses of how love can extend into the eternities. That means you also have to put up with the muck and hard work that comes with relationships. People are imperfect by nature, and therefore, so are relationships. If you can’t handle that, then you ought to quit hogging the hunk and let Milo go. Heaven knows half the women in Button Blossom would appreciate you giving them a shot with him.”
“I haven’t stopped him from dating anyone else.”
Granny’s silver-blue eyes glistened. “You might not have intended on being the reason he’s still a bachelor, but I know he’s been smitten with you for a long time. We’ve all been waiting for you to come around.”
Cocoons of winged creatures hatched in my gut and took flight. “Nuh-uh. You’re just saying that to manipulate me into thinking warm, fuzzy thoughts about Milo. I wouldn’t put it past you and Maren to be trying to get me to date Milo so you’ll get a discount on your vet bill.”
“That would be nice, but no, that’s not the reason. We want to see you happy.”
The longer I mulled Granny’s words, the more truth I found in them. I jiggled my leg and chewed my nails, wondering if I was finally about to make a breakthrough with Milo and get my love life back on track, or if I was merely fooling myself.
I rocketed out of my seat and ran to the kitchen, grabbing the keys for the truck and slipping on my worn-in pair of Birkenstocks.
“Wherever are you going, Beckett?” Granny grinned at me. She already knew the answer.
“Do you suppose Milo is at the clinic?”
“That would probably be a good place to start.” Granny turned the volume back up on the television and retrieved the popcorn bowl I’d left on the couch. “Take an umbrella with you, too. We’re supposed to get rain sometime today.”
Racing back to the kitchen, I snagged a black umbrella off the hook. “Don’t wait up for me.”
“Don’t worry. We won’t.”
“Bye, Granny.” I pecked a kiss on her wrinkled cheek and tugged my hair out from under my purse strap. “Thanks for everything.”
“One last bit of advice?”
I paused in the doorway, half of me already outside in the warm, muggy spring afternoon. “I’m listening.”
“Take it easy kissing Milo when you do. You’ve got to work up your stamina since it's been a while.”
Laughing kept me from dying of mortification that Granny was giving me make out tips. “I’ll try to remember that.”
Slamming the door behind me, I sprinted to Granny’s truck. The engine roared to life, and I put it in reverse, accidentally squashing a cluster of grape irises behind the back tire. Promising I’d confess later to Maren, I peeled out of the driveway, kicking rocks with the tires as I gunned it into town.
“Where are you, Milo Fox?” I clenched the steering wheel, needing something solid to keep me grounded. “Ready or not, here I come.”
Chapter Eighteen
Beckett
I kept an eye out for Clint on my way into town, working up a plausible explanation for why I had my foot pressed so hard on the gas pedal. He might be a longtime family friend, but when he was on duty as Deputy Grange, he took his job seriously. If he pulled me over for speeding, I was prepared to tell him Granny was on her deathbed in the hospital if that would get me off the hook faster. Truth was, I needed to talk to Milo, and I needed that conversation ten minutes ago. Not sure if he would let a ticket slide because I finally realized I was in love.